Monasteries

Dear family, friends. We reflect on the beautiful monasteries. It is the first thing that we did in Leh since we needed time to acclimatize. Our first driver from Manali and his helper (our translator) took us. He advised us in basic etiquette such as do not climb on the special walls that sculpt the landscape built up of of carved rocks that translate "Om Mane padme hum." In fact we would see thousands of these personal sculptures, cared and placed for good luck throughout the landscape.

We didn't know what to expect from the monasteries. I had imagined them, longed to see them, (for years) from the exterior. The insides had many rooms, connected by exterior courtyards and passageways. They generally had at least two really important spaces: a prayer hall and at least one space with a Buddha and a stupa. Some Buddhas were at least two stories tall, but the rooms in which they were placed could be quite tight. So a full frontal head on view was difficult to obtain. We were often at knee height, though we could go around the back, and sometimes to a second floor. Some monasteries let us shoot photos, though without flash. We learned that the photo of a buddha is an object of worship itself. Alchi (an 11th century monastery!) did not allow photos inside at all. Sacred scrolled sutras are rolled up and stacked in the dark recesses.

Monks gather in the prayer halls. We experienced many extraordinary things, and heard that many tourists go during puja, or prayer time (6 am or so). We didn't experience a puja this time.

The prayer halls were quite dim upon entering. One's eyes adjusts to see beautiful paintings on the walls. Most of the monasteries had some type of indirect light over the center of the space, and over "thrones" in which lamas sat. In their absence photos of the lamas (often the Dalai Lama) invoked their presence. The spaces were very centrally laid out, like mandalas themselves, with outer rooms similar to tiny chapels with more Buddhas and stupas. Every so often our guides would be particularly moves by a stupa or a Buddha, and prostrate themselves, or pray.

Paintings covers the walls. Sometimes they were quite difficult to see. I was particularly impressed with the paintings at Alchi: a repeat pattern of thousands of Buddhas about 5" high or so, and large ones with "tattooed legs" with special patterns themsleves. we saw a little area where restoration was experimented with: bright spots of color on the otherwise faded walls. I was reminded of the arguments about restoring the Sistine Chapel, or the Giotto chapel in Padua. The plaster was bubbling off the rock and adobe (11th century) walls, and the experiment only dealt with the surface.

Just before we arrived in Ladakh there was an unprecedented amount of rain in this high desert. As appreciated as rain usually is in the desert, it hurt some of the traditional adobe (like new mexico) construction. We passed upstream of a monastery that had been seriously damaged by the heavy rains. This also affects the homes of the monks or nuns.

I sketched a little. (Sketching is almost always allowed), and found a beautiful architectural study published in 1979 of many or the places we toured, and more.

Offerings of money (many nationalities), food, oil were offered to the Buddhas. Rectangular white silk scarves were thrown (off balconies) around extended arms. By the time we left Leh, Delilah had two white silk scarves honoring her beautiful and holy neck by two of our hosts. Our little Buddha. love, leah

[M.B.I know you've all been waiting and waiting so here, at long last, the Bowel report: Leah: somewhat irregular but otherwise perfectly fine. Delilah - rather....nice, I'd say, nothing to write home about. Mile: well, um, about four days ago, a couple of risky choices began to take their toll. However, I am feeling a little shy about getting too detailed, much as you all long for it. Suffice it to say: information withheld pending further analysis]